One woman’s fight against leprosy stigma

‘I used to have a very happy family life with my husband. Then suddenly my life changed with the discovery of red patches on my body. My husband called me a sinful woman and decided that he no longer wanted to share his life with me.

Our previously happy marriage ended a few months later. I was left all on my own. I consulted some traditional village healers who gave me treatment for more than a year.

Then, one evening, I just happened to watch a film show organised by LEPRA in the village. I learnt about the signs and symptoms of leprosy, and found out where I could get treatment in my area.

I managed to contact one of LEPRA’s staff members who guided me to the nearest LEPRA supported treatment facility. I was diagnosed with leprosy. They told me that I had a high concentration of bacteria in my body. I was put on multi-drug therapy treatment and after a year the leprosy was completely cured.

However, my story does not end here. I really wanted to do something for all those women who faced the same problems as I did because of leprosy. I knew that if I could raise awareness of this disease within my community, I could really make a difference to women’s lives – before they found themselves abandoned and scared.

It’s amazing that even in the 21st century, leprosy patients are still sneered at and stigmatised. I was determined to change the perceptions of people. I imagined a world where people would care, not stare.

So I started by encouraging other former leprosy patients in the village to form a community group with the aim of helping others with leprosy. Our group is really active now, and we meet regularly in the market place to discuss issues and responsibilities. We have also started saving money so that we can give out loans to other group members.

We asked LEPRA to guide us in forming the group, and they also gave us so training on how to raise awareness of leprosy in the community.

I am proud to be the only female member out of the ten others who participate in the self-help group. I go door-to-door, raising awareness of the disease as well as organising meetings with men’s and women’s groups in order to tell them about leprosy and give out information concerning available treatment.’